“Aqui estuvo de General Don Diego de Vargas, quien conquisto a nuestra Santa Fe y a la Real Corona todo el Nuevo Mexico a su costa, Año de 1692.”
or:
“Here was the General Don Diego de Vargas, who conquered for our Holy Faith, and for the Royal Crown, all of New Mexico at his own expense, year of 1692.”
Twelve years earlier, in 1680, the Pueblo (Indian) revolt had taken place. Many Spanish were killed and the remainder fled to El Paso. In 1692, de Vargas returned to re-establish Spanish control of the pueblos. He was later imprisoned for 3 years in the governor’s palace and when released, restored as governor. He died in Bernalillo in 1704.
Below the de Vargas inscription are three names, “Williamson,” “Holland,” and “John Udell,” all with the same date of 1858. These men were members of the first emigrant train to try this new route to California.
A good account of the trip can be found in the Journal of John Udell, a Baptist preacher who, with his 64-year-old wife, decided to visit his children in Sacramento. The party, consisting of 40 families and their equipment, finally reached the Colorado River, only to be attacked by the Mojave Indians. Several of the group were killed and practically all of their equipment stolen or burned.
The survivors, including the elderly Udell and wife, returned to Albuquerque, walking most of the way. They passed El Morro enroute, arriving in Albuquerque, nearly starved, in November 1858. Remaining there for the winter, Udell and some of the others again started for California in 1859 in the company of Lt. Edward F. Beale, famous for his camel caravan of 1858, which also came west by way of El Morro.
They had no difficulty reaching California, and finding their children in Sacramento. Mr. Udell is known to have died in the Golden State, a very old man.
13.
The first emigrant train (mentioned in [station 12]) was led by Mr. L. J. Rose. He was born in Germany and moved to New Orleans in 1830. He later moved to Iowa where he became wealthy in the dry goods business.